Pope Benedict tells the bishops of the world that during this Year of Faith, "Reflection on the faith will have to be intensified, so as to help all believers in Christ to acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel." (§8)
But common sense tells us that the bishops could talk and reflect on the Faith until they are blue in the face and it would have no effect unless each individual Catholic takes as of utmost importance his own faith in Jesus Christ. And that is exactly his next point. The Pope goes on to say, "Not without reason, Christians in the early centuries were required to learn the creed from memory. It served them as a daily prayer not to forget the commitment they had undertaken in baptism." (§9.2)
The word commitment in this quote is very important. Each Catholic has received baptism as "an effective sign of entry into the people of believers in order to obtain salvation." (§10.4) Due to this fact, all Catholics have a commitment to the Catholic Faith. And just because most Catholics were baptized as infants and therefore don't remember their baptism taking place doesn't change the fact that this commitment still exists. We must treat this commitment to Christ and to the Catholic Faith in a serious manner, as if our lives depend upon it, because they do. The lives of our eternal souls are at stake. There is no more time to waste as nominal Catholics. We must realize who Christ is, what He has done for us, and live our lives accordingly in a completely committed manner.
But common sense tells us that the bishops could talk and reflect on the Faith until they are blue in the face and it would have no effect unless each individual Catholic takes as of utmost importance his own faith in Jesus Christ. And that is exactly his next point. The Pope goes on to say, "Not without reason, Christians in the early centuries were required to learn the creed from memory. It served them as a daily prayer not to forget the commitment they had undertaken in baptism." (§9.2)
The word commitment in this quote is very important. Each Catholic has received baptism as "an effective sign of entry into the people of believers in order to obtain salvation." (§10.4) Due to this fact, all Catholics have a commitment to the Catholic Faith. And just because most Catholics were baptized as infants and therefore don't remember their baptism taking place doesn't change the fact that this commitment still exists. We must treat this commitment to Christ and to the Catholic Faith in a serious manner, as if our lives depend upon it, because they do. The lives of our eternal souls are at stake. There is no more time to waste as nominal Catholics. We must realize who Christ is, what He has done for us, and live our lives accordingly in a completely committed manner.
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